Local
THE BATTALION Page 3
TUESDAY, AUGUST 11, 1981
rll ll Boll weevils plaguing
Texas cotton farmers
f \ Despite a rough start in some areas due to a siege
^ of wet spring weather, Texas’ cotton crop looks
promising. In fact, with a general rain the next few
weeks and some letup in insect activity, a good crop
could result.
;er stumbledupj^B'Our crop went through a stress period earlier
ights in women ; due to the the extended wet weather, but the return
that subtle kh to cotton weather has encouraged fruiting, ” said Dr.
harms, but up Bob Metzer, cotton specialist with the Texas Agricul-
i largely depei tural Extension Service.
*y “We started the season with good deep moisture
i word I have ft ' n 1110x1 areas to sustain the crop, but a rain in early
tion hasdem Au S ust would P ut the icin S on the cake ”
. ' i i. About 7.4 million acres were planted to cotton in
Texas this spring, which is more than half of the
in orbeneat nation’s crop of about 14.2 million acres,
the mostalkrijgl'Wg currently have the potential range of 325 to
;s, theprofes; 350 pounds oflint per acre,” Metzer said. “We might
i, which reveal ev en get close to the 400-pound mark if needed rains
ich is unattract coAe and insect damage is limited.”
rl to revealooi;:,. B 0 11 weevils and bollworms are currently plaguing
some producers, and fleahoppers caused damage in
ars a Paget lii somo locations, resulting in loss of early fruit set. In
its she can vibr addition, some squares were lost to the wet weather,
nusic—thetwi^B ck a ^ so caused boll rot problems in coastal and
; certain both a sout l iern areas.
WA problem looming ahead is that of cotton root
rot, particularly in the Central Texas Blacklands,”
Metzer said. “Root rot is always a problem when
there is good soil moisture, and it tends to increase
with hot weather.”
Cotton in the High and Rolling Plains and western
areas got off to a good start this year, the specialist
said, although heavy spring storms caused consider
able replanting in some locations. Irrigation is now in
full swing where water is available. Hot, dry winds
are depleting soil moisture, and dryland crops in
these areas will need additional rain.
Harvesting is now under way in the Rio Grande
Valley, with good yields, especially in well-drained
fields. Metzer said.
Bolls are starting to pop open in the Coastal Bend
and in some parts of South Central Texas. However,
rank growth of cotton along the Coastal Bend and in
many Central Texas fields will likely cause some
defoliation and harvesting problems, he said.
This rank growth has prompted Metzer to urge
farmers to give particular attention to practices that
will reduce the number of boll weevils. These in
clude applying an insecticide in combination with a
defoliant when preparing the crop for harvest, and
then destroying stalks and plowing them under as
soon as possible after harvesting.
“Efforts to reduce overwintering bollweevils is
particularly crucial this year because rank cotton
with late fruit can provide a safe haven for boll
weevils,” he said.
IVegetable oil could work
as fuel, but cost is high
i| farmer could pour a bottle of plain of vegetable
)il into his tractor’s diesel fuel tank, but a researcher
itudying the substitute fuel says he wouldn’t recom-
I/ ^ nend it. At least not yet.
fThere are several reports in the literature that
^Vegetable oil off the grocery shelf has been used
iuccessfully as a direct substitute for diesel oil for
ihort periods of time, ” said Dr. Cady Engler of the
exas A&M Food Protein Research and Develop-
ent Center. “But we don’t know what the long-
:erm effects on the engine will be.
“Also, the same type of oil will work in one engine
ut not in another. A given diesel engine may work
ith one oil, such as sunflower, but not with oil from
other crop.
Engler said vegetable oil currently costs twice as
uch as diesel but it is being studied for its applica-
ion during emergency situations when diesel isn’t
ivailable.
“From a farmer’s standpoint, when it is time to
lant or harvest, he needs fuel right then,” Engler
;aid. If we have another interruption in petroleum
mports, for example, vegetable oil might serve quite
veil.
“At this point, I don’t know what kind of proces-
*
sing steps to recommend to a farmer for turning his
oilseeds into diesel fuel. But I would say it would be
simpler than converting grain to alcohol.”
He and other researchers from the University’s
agricultural engineering and agricultural economics
departments are working on a three-year study of
vegetable oils for fuel. Current work is being funded
by the Texas Energy and Natural Resources Advis
ory Council (TENRAC).
Engler is studying how to process crude vegetable
oils for fuel use. He also is studying which chemical
and physical properties make the best fuel.
“We hope to find the processing steps that will
make a high-quality substitute fuel,” he said. Cur
rently the research team is studying oil from sunflow
ers. They plan to move to other crops such as soy
bean, cottonseed and possibly animal fats.
Dr. Wayne LoPori, an agricultural engineer, is
performing engine testing with oils prepared by En
gler at the food protein center. Agricultural econom
ists are studying feasibility of growing and processing
vegetable oils for fuel.
If vegetable oil fuel ever becomes viable, Engler
said, the exhaust will probably smell more like a
deep-fat fryer than diesel.
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8
They're finally here
Photo by Cathie Feighl
These hands are displaying the new senior rings that arrived up at the Ring Clerk’s desk in Heaton Hall from 8:15 a.m. to
last week. Rings that were ordered this spring can be picked 12 noon and from 1-5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
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